Cooling unit for mechanical refrigeration



Jan 9, 1934. G. J. SMETH COOLING UNIT FOR MECHANICAL REFRIGERATION Filed June 19, 1930 FIG 6 mv ENTOR G J. SMITH ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 9, 1934 UNITED STATES COOLING UNIT FOR MECHANICAL V REFRIGERATION George J. Smith, Los Angeles, Calif. Application June 19, 1930. Serial No. 462,330

Claims.

The cooling unit of the present application is of a type having an inner and an outer shell with cooling coils between the walls of the shells and with a heat transferring material surrounding 5 the coils for transferring heat between the shell and the coils whereby the heat may be absorbed from articles or the like placed within the inner shell or adjacent the said shell.

In this type of construction an object of my invention is to form the shells or box-like structure by casting whereby there is a space left between the inner and the outer shells for the insertion of pipes carrying the refrigerating liquid; these pipes being preferably arranged in the form of coils and having a space surrounding the coils filled with a heat transferring substance.

A particular object and feature of my invention is to form a box-like cooling unit having an inner and an outer shell formed by a casting, the shells being U-shaped as regards a horizontal plane so that the coils of pipe may extend along the sides and the back end of the box-like unit, such coils being positioned between the inner and outer shell.

Another detailed feature of my invention involves the manner of attaching the ends of the cooling coils to connector units by utilizing a rectangular block which may be welded to the ends of the cooling coils and have a nipple threaded in the perforation in the block in alignment with the ends of the coils for connecting to lead-in pipes.

Another detailed feature comprises constructing the top of the box with a top wall which is connected to the depressed top edges of the side and rear walls of the inner shell. A top plate is positioned above the top wall and connected to the top of the side and end walls of the outer shell, thus leaving a space between the top wall and the top plate which may be filled with a heat transferring material or liquid.

A further object is to utilize a novel and unusually eflicient material as a heat transferring medium within the cooling unit.

My invention is illustrated in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of one of the cooling units of my invention partly broken away to illustrate details.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2--2 of Fig. 3 with the direction of view as indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2 with the direction of view as indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the box with the door attached.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the top plate.

Fig. 6 is a transverse section of the top plate.

Fig. 7 is a detailed horizontal section through one of the hinges of the door.

' Fig. 8 is a perspective view of another form of my invention partly broken away.

Referring to the drawing, Figs. 1 thru '7 illustrate a box-like cooling unit designated generally by the numeral 11, which has an outer shell 12 and an inner shell 13. Each of these shells is illustrated as having side walls 14 and a back wall 15 preferably rounded at the corners as indicated at 16. The inner shell 13 is sufiiciently small 7 er than the outer shell 12 to leave a space 17 between them. A bottom wall or floor 18 forms the bottom of the box and also a closure 19 for the bottom of the space 17 between the two shells. There are also vertical strip walls 20 which connect the front edges of the side walls of the inner and outer shells.

The top edge 21 of the outer shell extends above the upper edge 22 of the inner shell which is I provided with a top wall 23. A top plate 24 rests on the upper edge 21 of the outer shell and this is illustrated as having 9. depending rim 25 to engage the top edge 21 of the outer wall. The top plate has a series of screw holes 26 so that screws may be inserted therethrough and into the upper portion of the outer shell. The rim 25 is formed so that this may be machined to a small'surface without the necessity of machining the whole plate. A horizontal rim 2'? extends upwardly at the front of the top wall 23 to a suflicient height to engage the top plate 24 and form a liquidtight joint therewith.

On account of the top wall 23 being set below the upper edge 22 of the inner shell there is a type of pan formed above this top wall and this is covered with the heat transferring material.

The inner shell is provided with a series of ribs 28 on the bottom 18 to support pans for freezing water, and is also provided with a series of ribs 29 on the side walls to support trays or shelves. There are also a series of cooling fins 29' on the outside wall.

The cooling coils designated generally by the numeral 30 are illustrated as comprising a series of horizontal pipes 31 having reversed bends 32 at the front end of the shells adjacent the vertical strip walls 20, and having angular bends 33 at the curved corners between the side and end walls of the shells. In this modification the cooling pipes are indicated as being placed horizon- 11f tally but it is obvious that these pipes may, if desired, run in a vertical direction or obliquely.

The ends 34 of the pipes are welded to rectangular blocks 35, which blocks are fitted in the space between the inner and outer shells adjacent the end strips 20'; and these blocks may be secured in place to the end strips or the inner and outer shells by screws or the like. These blocks welded or secured in a similar manner to the ends of the pipes give a leak-proof construction. The blocks have a perforation in alignment with the pipes 34 and have threaded nipples 36 connected to the blocks, these nipplesbeing designed for connection to the pipes carrying the refrigerating liquid.

The space between the inner and outer shells surrounding the pipes is filled with a heat transferring material, which may be brine or brine thickened with any suitable material, or a solid heat transferring substance. The space between the top wall 23 and the top plate 24 is also filled with this heat transferring substance.

A door 37 is provided with a marginal bead 38 which is adapted to bear against the vertical strips 20, the front edge of the floor 18 of the box, and the horizontal strip 27 at the top of the door opening. This door is illustrated as being secured to the box structure by hinges 39.

In making the above construction the device is preferably made of cast material so that the inner and outer shells are cast integral with the floor 18 and also with the top wall 23. This construction, therefore, leaves a space between the inner and outer shells for the subsequent insertion of the cooling coils.

In the construction of Fig. 8 I use a narrow, rectangular, box-like structure 40 which, however, does not have inner and outer walls, and in this structure there is a coil of pipe 41, with heat transferring substance filled in the box and surrounding the pipe. A cover plate 42 is secured to the top edge of the box, and at one end there are rectangular blocks 43 secured to ends of the coil, and nipples 44 secured to the block and projecting through the cover plate, thus providing means for connection of the coils to the pipes carrying the refrigerant. A filler cap 45 is provided in the cover plate 42.

A construction such as this may be made as a rather elongated fixture and is suitable for show case windows as a refrigerating unit.

I find it convenient to use a solution of silicate of soda surrounding the cooling pipes in the space between the inner and outer shells and between the top wall and the top plate. The silicate of soda is a good conductor of heat and, hence, acts in a capacity of a heat transmitter. It also flows sufficiently readily in the space and should any escape through a leak it congeals on the outside and stops such leak.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A refrigerator cooling unit formed of a boxlike structure having a horizontal fioor, an inner and an outer shell having vertical side and rear end walls spaced apart and extending upwardly from the said fioor, a top wall connecting the upper edges of the inner shell, there being an opening between the sides of the inner shell, the floor and the top plate, vertical strip walls extending upwardly from the floor and forming a closure for the space between the inner and outer shells at the front, a top plate having a marginal rim fitting on the upper edge of the outer shell and spaced from the top wall, the top wall having an upwardly extending rim forming a closure for the space between the top wall and the top'plate at the front, a cooling coil formed of pipe disposed in the said space at the sides and the rear portion, and a door hinged to one of the top walls and forming a closure, said door having a marginal bead engaging the said vertical strips, the floor, and the rim on the top wall.

2. A refrigerator cooling unit having a box-like structure with a pair of walls having a space with cooling coils therein, the said space surrounding the coils having a filling of silicate of soda in liquid form.

3. In a refrigerating cooling unit, a box-like structure having a fioor, an inner and an outer shell extending upwardly therefrom and having side and back walls spaced apart with vertical strip walls at the front, a top wall connecting the upper portions of the inner shell, the outer shell having vertical ribs or fins, the inner shell having horizontal ribs and the floor having longitudinal ribs, the said floor, the inner and outer shells, the top wall, and the ribs and fins being formed of an integral casting, a top plate secured 115 to the upper edges of the outer shell forming with the top wall a space, cooling coils arranged between the inner and outer shells at the sides and back, and a filling of heat transmitting material between the shells and between the top wall andthe top plate.

4. A refrigerating unit comprising a box-like structure with integral cast walls with cooling pipes in the box-like structure and liquid silicate of soda as a heat transmitting material surroundingthe said pipes.

5. In a refrigerating cooling unit, a structure having an inner and an outer shell spaced apart a top wall secured to the inner shell and set below the top edges of such inner shell forming a pan 131} above the top wall, a top plate connecting the top edges of the outer shell and positioned above said pan, cooling coils arranged between the inner and outer shells, and a filling of heat transmitting material between the shells and on said pan. 1.35

GEO. J. SMITH. 

